An input method editor (IME) is a computer functionality that assists a user to input text into a host application of a computing device. An IME may provide several suggested words and phrases based on received inputs from the user as candidates for insertion into the host application. For example, the user may input one or more initial characters of a word or phrase and an IME, based on the initial characters, may provide one or more suggested words or phrases for the user to select a desired one.
For another example, an IME may also assist the user to input non-Latin characters such as Chinese. The user inputs Latin characters through a keyboard and the IME returns one or more Chinese characters as candidates for insertion into the host application based on the Latin characters. The user may then select the proper character and insert it into the host application. As many typical keyboards support inputting Latin characters, the IME is useful for the user to input non-Latin characters using a Latin-character keyboard.
The candidates selected by the user can be inserted into various host applications, such as a chatting application, a document editing application, an email application, a drawing application, a gaming application, etc.